Refrigerator



Nov. 19, 1940.

Fig.4

REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 11, 1939 //)V//// lV/////// 31 INVENTOR. KENJ I I TO A TTORNEYS.

rivaled Nov. 19,1940 t I 2,222,201

. lie-nil fto, Seattle, lillash.

application Uecemher llll, litldll, deriall filo. itildfidtl ll illlaiin. (lUlL. lift-hit) This invention relates to refrigerators, and vation view, showing an inner door open and particularly to refrigerators adapted to prevent lowered to horizontal position for a shelf eatenthe escape of cold air therefrom when doors sion in line with the hated shelf. 1 thereof are opened. Figure his a perspective slretch showing an end In the construction of refrigerators it has larged View of one of the air duct shutters and ti been the practice to divide the interiors thereof supporting rails therefor,

into several compartments, by cross shelves, for Lillie characters on the different figures represtoring various sorts of supplies, and to provide sent lilre parts. it, represents generally a re-- means for originating cold air in the upper por frigerator housing, and B, represents a front or in tion of the interior for circulation downward outer door thereon for insulation of the entire to through the several compartments in this refrigerator. fl, represents any suitable case in form, all of the several compartments are eirwhich cold may be generated by deposits of posed to the outside air, when the door of the reice or by mechanical means. This case is preffrigerator is opened, and the cold air. then es erably located in the upper portion of the reld capes from each of the compartments. frigerator. Beneath the case and horizontally in It is therefore an object of this invention, to mounted across the interior are any desired provide a refrigerator, wherein the circulation of number of shelves indicated as t, l, and t. Bethe cold air from above is facilitated, and the tween the shelves are compartments, as t, Ni, ii, escape of such cold air prevented, when the doors and if, for storing any desired supplies to be up are opened, from all of such compartments excooled. no cept the single one to which the user has access in order to prevent the loss of cold air from all for placing or removing supplies. the compartments when access is had to one Particular objects, are to provide a plurality thereof, individual inner doors as tri l, it, and of compartments, separated by cross shelves one it, are provided in'front of each of said comm above the other, said shelves arranged with holes partments. These inner doors are pivotally con- 25 'therethrough, for downflow of cold air, in stagnected along their lower edges as by hinges ll, gel-ed relation in opposite ends of alternate to the respective shelves; and are normally reshelves. Further objects are to provide separate tained closed in front of the compartments by doors for closing the fronts of each of said comlatches it, operated by handles it. As 'it is no partments when raised and for forward extennecessary that the cold air from the case be so sion of the shelves, when lowered. Other oballowed to flow down and circulate through all jects are to provide separate shutter plates slidof the compartments when thedoors are closed, ably mounted adjacent said holes, and normally suitable connecting ducts as flll, fl, and it, are disposed behind the same to permit free circuprovided through each of the shelves. As the as lation of cold air, with means for drawing such compartments are ordinarily used for storing 35 shutter beneath such holes for closing the same and cooling meats and other provisions, it is to prevent loss of cold air when said doors are necessary that the cold air be circulated horiopened. it still further object is toprovide one zontally within such compartments to surround outside front door for closing over all of said such articles to be cooled. This cannot be acinner doors for insulation. complished by providing in the shelves ducts one n With these and other objects to be hereinafter directly above the others through the several stated, I have illustratively exemplified my inshelves, as .the cold air would then how pervention by the accompanying drawing, of which: pendicularly only, through all the ducts one after Figure 1 shows a front elevation of the refrigthe other. The cold air circulation through all M erator, with an outer front door open to disclose portions of the compartments is assured by stagas inner doors and compartments, with parts gering the locations of the ducts through oppobr ken aw y. site ends of the alternate shelves. In order to Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary inside eleprevent the escape of cold air from a compartvation view showing an inner door closed and air ment above. the one that is open beneath, shutup duct open, taken on line 2--2 of Fig. l, with parts ters it, are slidably mounted on guide rails it so in section, and 25 adjacent said ducts. The rails are af- Figure 3 is a View similar to that shown in Fig. fixed to the shelves by any suitable means as 2, but with the inner door open and the air duct rivets through holes 2%. The shutters are proclosed. vided with cross slots til therethrough and when Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front elea shutter is drawn back its slot matches with the on 32, in the top of the arm, whereby the shutter is moved to and fro as the arm is moved. A suitable cable 33, is connected at its rear end to the front of the arm and its forward end is connected to the respective inner door as through a lug 34.

When the arm and shutter are drawn forward,

the door is opened 'as seen in Fig. 3. A stop pin or abutment 35, is projected from the housing across the path of the arm in suitable position to bar its forward movement after the duct is closed and the .door fully opened. The door is also supported in lowered position suitable for a shelf by the cable from the arm. Thus the cable provides such dual functions, and is important in practice as supporting the lower door for an auxiliary shelf for temporary deposit of articles from the compartments. Any card case 36, is preferably affixed to the front of the inner doors for retaining cards indicated as 31 on which lists may appear of articles placed in the respective compartments for convenience of the user.

Having described my invention, I claim as new for Letters Patent:

A refrigerator with a plurality of shelves forming separate chambers provided with means for conserving cold air,-comprising, individual doors for closing perpendicularly in front of each of said compartments and being hingedly connected to the shelf on a horizontal axis beneath each compartment to provide access thereto, ducts through said shelves to provide circulation of erator, a retractive spring connected to the upper end of the arm and to the refrigerator for normally sustaining said arm in approximate perpendicular position, the said upper end of the arm provided with jaws for moving such shutters and operatively connected to the rear edge thereof for swinging the same backward to move the shutter clear of said aperture when the door is closed, a cable connected by one end to the front edge of said arm and the other end thereof connected to said door and adapted to swing said arm forward when said door is opened to move said shutter across said duct for closing the same, said cable further adapted to sustain said door in horizontal position for an extension shelf, when fully opened.

KENJI ITO. 

